The Mockingjays and the Arena of Ice
by MeganKaneWrites
Summary: Panem is ruled by a Dark wizard known as President Snow. All other witches and wizards are in hiding within the Districts, fearing their magic will mean their children being Reaped and their magic being squibed. Twin sisters Valentina and Ophelia Silva magic is about to awaken on Reaping day. OC/Alt history.
1. Happy Birthday

Black snow falls through the sky and me and my sister quickly cover our mouths with our scarfs. Before I can do it myself my sister Valentina pulls my wax jackets hood over my head. She pulls it down over my face and laughs as I stumble forwards.

"Careful!" I shout clutching a small sack to my chest "I almost dropped it."

"If you drop our potatoes in the coal dust you've got to clean it up Ophelia!"

"No I won't if it's your fault for pushing me!"

We stand toe to toe grey eyes scowling at each other.

"You kids alright?" Says old lady Rags from her hut "Save the brawling for the Tributes."

Me and my sister Val stand apart and speak in unison, "Sorry Mrs Rags."

"What are you girls doing up so early? The smog will ruin that lucky silver hair of yours."

There's a way people know is in the Seam, we're the lucky Silvia's twins with the Silver hair. Aged 15 and from the only family in our street who hasn't lost a child to the Reaping. Yet.

"It's our birthday tomorrow and we want to surprise our parents with some food."

Old lady Rags nods, "Alright hurry on home then. May the odds be ever in your favour tomorrow."

We shiver and run leaving trail of footprints behind us. I hate that phrase. I hate the Games. I hate that we share a birthday with it. Can't we enjoy ourselves for just a few hours without being reminded of the Reaping.

We reach our little hut of a home, its walls look buckled and swollen. It's a mess but it'll be warm inside. A nice little family nest. We creep up and hear the sound of our parents arguing.

"Shoot!" Says Val "Why are they up so early?"

"There goes hiding our surprise." I say in return. We planned to smuggle the food in and cook Rabbit and Potato stew for our 16th birthday. Day one we pick up the food and tomorrow we get up early to cook. Our parents could've woken up to the sweet smell of food for once and in the morning candle light we could have the best meal we've had in years. We could take away the fear and hunger for just a few our parents are awake and arguing, I guess knowing about our treat a day early won't hurt.

Me and Val walk in and our parents stop in their tracks before pulling us further indoors.

"Valentina and Ophelia Silva! Where have you been!"

"We've been worried sick. Didn't we say for you two to stay indoors!"

We put our fest onto the table. A sack of potatoes and a fat skinned rabbit.

"We just wanted to surprise you with a birthday feast."

"We were only gone for short time. Why are you so mad?"

My mom gets down in her knees and hugs us both. "Because today is your 16th birthday."

"What? Our birthday is tomorrow." Says Val.

Father grabs his coat and starts to out on his big work boots, "There's a lot of things we haven't told you but this is no time and place to do it."

"I told you we should've moved them across last night. IT could happen at any moment." Snaps our Mother grabbing some old boxes from under the beds.

"Across to where? What's going on?" Shouts Val. Mom holds her hand and says "Just be quiet and trust us and keep an eye out for Peacekeepers. Something's about to awaken in both of you and if it happens here you'll be in great danger."

We follow our parents outside where the black coal soaked snow is now a thick blizzard. They pulls us in close between them and under their arms they carry strange boxes we've never seen before. We move silent and scared through our neighbourhood, then we weave around the black market until at the back of some old warehouses we reach the train tracks. We hide behind some old barrels and our parents stare off to the platform opposite us and whisper, "Do you think it's still safe?"

"I can hear a patrol but I can't see where it is. If they had found it we'd be arrested by now."

"Well if we can't see them. They can't see us."

"It's now or never." They both nod and turn to us , "We need you two to be very brave and run towards the wall on the other side of the platform. Run into and through the wall into 12 3/4." They put a brooch with a Mockingjay in each of our hands.

"Then what?" We ask. It must be some kind of curtain. Maybe they're getting us out of here before the Reaping like we've always dreamed they would.

"On the other side there will be more doorways. The brooches will guide you to the right one so don't lose them."

Our mother hands over the boxes which we hold under our arms. "You will be able to open these once you are on the other side. A teacher will be waiting for you."

They both hug us quickly with tears welling up in their eyes, "Let's not waste anymore time. Run!"

Bemused me and my sister run. The snow crunches below our feet. I look back and our parents who are running too, but in the opposite direction. I expect to feel the cold hands of the Peacekeepers on our back but there's nothing but distant noise of the mines. Val jumps up onto the platform and heads for the wall. Her hood falls off and silver hair flows behind her. She reaches the wall and suddenly she's gone. I keep running, my heart beats faster. I run into the wall and into 12 3/4 with my eyes shut.

I feel an odd fuzzy feeling before I crash into my sister. I open my eyes and we're floating in a room of floating doors. We bounce off each other and glide through the room. I try kicking my feet but I just swirl around in circles. A door opens in front of me and out swims a boy with fiery red hair and dark blue eyes. He laughs but I can hear no sound. He gestures to move my arms and legs to swim like a frog. I copy his movements and soon we have my sister swimming like a frog too. He takes out a fishing hook and points it towards several doors. I elbow my sister and point to our brooches from our parents. Closing it around my fist we point our brooches towards the other doors in the room until they starts to vibrate in our hands. I tap the boy on the shoulder and he tests his hook on the red door numbered 48. It vibrates leaving little ripples in the air. We swim and open the door and fall into an underground place. Looking up I can see there are giant glittering tree roots coming out from the ceiling. It smells like dirt in here. My sister pushes me off her and we stand up to see more kids like us running around. A group of older Seam kids aged at least 18 enter into this world from the door behind us. I recognise them from past Reapings but I don't know their names. The boy with green eyes takes one look at us and scoffs, "Move aside first years. You're blocking the portal." We step aside and one of the older girls smiles, "You need to go over there" she points to a gathering of children and others our age, "it's an induction."

We grab our things and run over. A teacher in a stunning turquoise dress stands on a podium with a stick in her hand. She gives it a twirl and a small light appears at the end. Pointing the stick to her throat she begins to speak much louder than I would expect.

"Hello class. Some of you may know where you are and others might be confused about what this all is. Well let me start with I'm Miss Nadie and I'm a witch. You are also our little witches and wizards and we've brought you here to Haven. It's a safe place for your training in the magical arts. Any questions so far?"

A blonde haired girl in a summer dress puts her hand up. She must be from the Capitol as I've only seen kids that clean and healthy looking from the television at the town square.

"Miss, if we are a class why are we different ages?"

Miss Nadie smiles, "Back in the old days you would have started your magical journey at age 7, but to avoid detection your parents cast a charm to delay it until a certain age or time had past. Here your magic can awaken at a safe time and you can get it under control before the school term is over. Please note for every week that passes here an hour passes in the Districts."

Another hand shoots up it's from a boy in a flannel shirt. Must be from Lumber.

"Are the Peacekeepers a threat to us?"

The teacher nods and frowns, "You all must know that President Snow is a dark wizard who used his powers to take over control of the no-majs world. He and his loyal subjects plan to wipe out all other witches and wizards so he can stay in power. We are the only ones left to threaten his power. He will try any trick to detect magic and destroy or squibify those who practice it. If you or your family casts a spell back at the District. Your name will get Reaped. If you think this will be fun for the arena, don't think magic would save you in their either. This is because revealing your magic publically risks the Peacekeepers wiping out your family."

We all stand around shuffling our feet. I haven't even begun to understand how I'm a witch or what this all means and already I'm hoping not to be one. Miss Nadie smiles again, "Don't look so glum! Magic will open your eyes to beauty in this world."

My sister puts her hand up, "Why can't we all use our magic to fight Snow now?"

Miss Nadie sighs, "I'm afraid the last attempt we made to overthrow Snow was in the first revolution with the no-majs. We suffered heavy losses and when weakened Snow took away the no-majs memories and now he takes our children if we dare use our magic. Yet don't you worry, when the time is right we will strike again."

"When will that be?" Asks Val. I try to elbow her silent as I can see this question has already upset our new teacher.

"When the time is right my dear. Just focus on controlling your magic first. Come this way the Thestrals will get you to your new homes."

I grab my sister's hand and she rolls her eyes as we are lead to the Thestrals. I look behind us and spy the boy we met earlier. I never caught his name but I hope we're in the same class together. We reach the carts and I gasp. The 'Thestrals' are these mutt like horses with wings and skeletal bodies and reptile faces. Oddly the youngest Capitol children are not scared by these creatures, it's like they can't even see they are there. We sit in our seats (right at the back) in the carts and they start to roll out into the huge underground world.


	2. The Sorting Hat

We get closer to the roots of a giant tree, we all gasp at the scale of the giant thick roots winding around the Haven. The kids from lumber huddle are argue over the size of the red wood from that tree. One kid says, "What if it's not big but we're really small?" We all fall silent trying to get our heads around this one. Magic is giving me a headache already.

The boy from the floating door realm stands in the cart and points, "I can see lights there's a house in there!" We all stand up to get a better look at this mysterious house. It's amazing, I can see the trees roots start to move aside to reveal the biggest house I've seen. It's bigger than the mayor's mansion and even the Capitol kids start to say it's bigger than Snow's mansion.

The Thestrals speed up their gallop and the carts starts to climb up into a giant tree root which moves and twists into the house. We hold on tight as the Thestrals hooves become a blur as they run towards a tall stained glass window. I close my eyes and hear a popping noise as we slide forwards in the cart like we're falling down. I open my eyes to see we are entering a large wood panelled ballroom with four long dining tables. The carts pull to a stop as they reach the floor of the ballroom and we are welcomed by a huge cheer from other children seated at the grand tables. We all get off the carts which when empty exit through two giant doors at the other end of the ballroom.

"Welcome first years to great ballroom of Blackthorne Manor." We turn to see an old white haired bearded man in baby blue robes speaking at a podium. "We hope you got here safely and will enjoy the freedom and hope we can provide to such promising young witches and wizards. I am the Headmaster here but just call me Julius. I know today is a lot to take in but before you can start your school term you shall be sorted into you school houses." He pulls out an old dusty hat. "Don't worry this won't be like being sorted into Districts. Some say the sorting hat doesn't decide where it thinks you should go but instead decides where you want to be." There's a little twinkle in his eyes. I guess this must be an important ceremony.

I look round the room and see the four banners for the houses. There's a big red and gold banner for house Liberty. A blue and bronze banner for house Truth. A green and silver banner for Justice. Last of all a yellow and black banner for house Happiness. Valentina whispers in my ear, "I bet my rations Snow wasn't from house Happiness."

Headmaster Julius speaks again and the entire rooms joins him "Liberty, Truth, Justice and Happiness for all! These are the values we pursue."

He signals and a nervous looking 10 year old steps forwards and the hat wakes up! Oh damn it has a face and it's talking, "Hmm rough life you had there but I see a joyful caring nature and a strength to you to overcome the dark days...Happiness!"

The table for house Happiness roars into a cheer and the little kid runs off almost taking the magical talking hat with him. More people get sorted and I start to worry. The Liberty house is full of people who fight for the underdogs I can already see lot of fierce courage there, something I don't have. The Truth house has people with their heads stuck in books, I've never read a proper book before my mom told me most of the stories from her memory. Justice well, they look very rigid and meat headed I'm not sure if I'd survive there without being pushed around. Happiness would be nice they look very friendly and open minded.

"Liberty!" Shouts the hat and I see the boy we met earlier has been sorted in a house that's not Happiness. My heart sinks but only a little! In a friend way of course...

Valentina lets go of my hand and heads up next. I feel really nervous now. The hat falls on her head and ponders. "Ooooh the fire in this one! I haven't seen a mind like this since before the revolution. LIBERTY!" The crowd goes wild and she goes to sit next to the boy, who I swear is just a friend. I see them talk and laugh and my mind is set 'not happiness.'

I step up and feel the hat plonk on my head. It's whispers "Hmm why not Happiness? You've got the their qualities and you'd excel with like minded friends...ah is it a boy?" I can feel myself blush. "Hah who am I to stop young love. LIBERTY!"

Everyone cheers and I shuffle my way to squeeze next to my sister. "What did it say to you me and Octavian couldn't hear?"

"Oh nothing I just you know, needed some help deciding which house I liked."

"Well of course you'd be with me we are twins after all. Anyway quit talking and start eating this food before you starve." Says Valentina. I look at her as we start to eat. We might be twins but I feel like I'm still a little kid around her. It's like she got all the confidence and strength while I'm just left with following her shadow.

Opposite us two Capitol girls dig into the food, "Viola? Is it me or does this chicken taste funny?"

Me and Valentina smirk. The firey haired boy called Octavian says, "I know what you mean this stuff tastes like mussels but it has an earthy taste."

A pair of second years lean in from the table next to ours, "I bet the District 12 girls have worked it out already."

We both nod, you can forget that taste.

"What is it?" Say Viola,

The second year grins ear to ear, "Headmaster says you can't grow enough food or animal feed down here so you got to use magic to make something bigger for dinner." He leans in closer, "You're eating earthworm and he's eating a garden snail." They spit out the food and the second years laugh. "We'll show you Seam kids how to charm a saucepan to do this, it'll get you through the food shortages." I whisper 'thank you' to the second year and he nods.

Viola looks at us with wide eyes, "You don't really eat bugs in the Districts do you?"

We both nod, "It's either that or die of starvation when it gets bad."

"That's horrible." Says the other girl. "We have plenty at the Capitol why can't you have some of our food?"

"Because Snow likes it that way." says Valentina "If we disobey him he cuts our food. Revolutions can start when you're hungry, but it's impossible to fight when you're starving to death. So we're always kept between hunger and starvation in 12." She's always going around our District listening to the old revolutionary stories and I guess she finally has an audience of horrified Capitol kids to listen.

"I wish I could perform magic outside the Haven." Says Viola, "Then I'd make it rain magic cakes over the districts."

"You can't just Magic up some cakes from nowhere." Says Octavian who has started eating his snail again, "It's got to already exist from somewhere to materialise in the sky. You might make it appear from taking it from another starving mouth."

"And how do you know this?" Says Viola crossing her arms.

He shrugs, "My older brother told me. I've known for ages I'd become a wizard."

We eat dinner and then our Houses prefects guide us to our dormitories. We reach a tall staircase which rises up and up into a distant upper floor. Urgh this is going to take forever. We step on the stairs and then it's 10 steps and we're at the top. I get off and look down to the below floor, it's at least 200 stairs downwards.

A school Prefect taps me on the shoulder, "Best not to think about how it works. Especially in your first year. Just accept it for it is and you'll survive here."

The older boy and girl stand in a corridor to the side, between two red and gold round doors. They shout 'lumos' and their magical sticks start to glow, "Girls dorms on the left and boys on the right." They point to the four sets of armour on each side. "If you try and sneak across or anyone tries to sneak in. Our armoured friends will stop them." The suits of armour salute in unison. "They will also stop students from sneaking out at night to explore the rest of the house. We must warn you not to do this because at night The Wailing Warriors run around the halls, they are harmless but many students have gone crazy from being stuck out here with nothing but their screaming. You have been warned." They split and lead into the girl's dormitory. Inside me and Valentina grab some bunkbeds near the fire as everyone else admire the furnishings, there's no time to look at a fancy painting when a warm bed is up for grabs. We both open up the boxes from our parents, each are uniquely carved wooden masterpieces. On each is a little carved forest with little wooden animals and a hunter. "I hope we don't have to hide these again when we go back home they're so beautiful." I say.

"I can't believe they hid these from us for so long, let's look inside."

Inside the tiny boxes is a huge space and I swear one day i'll get used to the odd things magic can do to my sense of space. I reach in and feel a bundle of objects. Spreading them out onto the bed it looks like a pair of magical sticks, two shimmering grey cloaks, and a bundle of old worn out spell books. We pick up our sticks and start to mimic the older students with their wands and whisper 'Lumos' like they did. The ends light up and we both smile. There's no doubt now, we are witches.


End file.
